


Maybe it Was the Taco...

by happyaspie



Series: Tony Stark is a Good Mentor [27]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Food Poisoning, Hotels, Hurt/Comfort, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Precious Peter Parker, Road Trips, Sick Character, Sick Peter Parker, Sickfic, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is a Good Mentor, Tony stark is trying, Vomiting, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2020-12-24 05:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21093974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happyaspie/pseuds/happyaspie
Summary: Tony takes Peter on a road trip and happily buys him every single snack he asks for.  The only problem is that apparently one of those snacks wasn't as good as it seemed to be and Peter ends up feeling extremely sick on the ride home.Despite wanting nothing more than to get home, Peter concedes to his mentor's suggestion of getting a hotel room.  From there Tony comforts his kid through a few miserable days and nights.  It isn't an easy task but he'd ready to do whatever he needs to do to make Peter feel better.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously this story is going to be heavy on the descriptions of illness so if that's not your thing, that cool. You can skip this one and I'll see you back at the next one. 😉

It was summer break and as promised, Tony took Peter on a road trip to Vermont so that they could attend a huge science conference. They spent several days there and had a blast, attending lectures and looking at the different displays being presented by all of the newest, up and coming companies while in the evenings, they explored the city. For Peter that meant trying something from every single food vendor, they came across and attempting to get Tony to do the same.

"You know, unlike some people, I don't actually need to eat every five minutes. We just finished a four-course dinner not even two hours ago, kid. I'm stuffed.", Tony replied with humor as Peter offered him a bite of some sort of fried cheese bite. Even with the boy's enhanced metabolism, he couldn't quite fathom how he was able to make room for so much food. Then just as he was starting to wonder how May could possibly afford to be feeding him enough on her salary, Peter spotted a food truck and grabbed his attention.

"Look! They have Korean fries! I don't know what that is but we have to try it, Mr. Stark!", Peter excitedly exclaimed before grabbing him by the hand to drag him towards the small crowd. 

Dutifully following behind, Tony waited in line with Peter and was soon handing over a small cardboard container of french-fried potatoes heaped with meat and other various topping and sauces. "We don't necessarily have to leave tomorrow morning. Anything you want to do before we go? This is your trip.", Tony asked as he watched the boy shovel the food into his mouth as if he'd not eaten in days. The conference had come to a close that evening and it wasn't a terribly long drive. As long as they left by five they would be home by midnight.

"I don't know.", Peter replied between bites. "I'll look some stuff up. I bet they have some cool museums of something around here."

As it were, tha majority of their last day in the city was spent walking around a local history and art museum. Tony easily agreed to the desired activity and followed the teenager around until close to six when he looked at his watch and sighed. He'd not meant for them to be there that long but something about watching the boy look around excitedly read every single plaque of information was fun and he'd lost track of time. "It's getting late, kid. If we want to get back before one, then we need to get going, kid.", he said and Peter happily followed him back to the parking lot with a taco in one hand and some sort of a snow cone topped with maple syrup in the other.

Once in the car, Peter eagerly chattered for the first twenty minutes before growing quiet. Tony didn't really think anything of it. It had been a long few days and they had been walking around for hours. It seemed safe to assume that the kid was tired and he half-expected the boy to fall asleep. However, that was not the case and within ten minutes Peter was turning down the radio down so that he could be heard. "Hey, Mr. Stark? I know we just got in the car and all but I need to go to the bathroom. I'm really sorry.", Peter said and Tony rolled his eyes in mild annoyance but seeing as the kid looked incredibly uncomfortable beside him, he didn't complain. He simply stopped at the next exit and allowed the boy to run inside. 

However, when the boy was requesting a second bathroom break, not quite thirty minutes later, Tony went from slightly annoyed to completely frustrated. They were only one hour into their five-and-a-half-hour trip and the kid was already asking to stop again? "We _just stopped,_ Pete. Can you seriously not hold it for another thirty minutes?", he said with some heat. They'd only stopped for dinner and gas on the way there and he'd sort of expected it to go about the same on the way back but at this rate, they were never going to get home. "I'd like to get home today if that's okay with you." 

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Stark.", Peter strained. He wasn't trying to be a nuisance, he just _didn't feel good. _His stomach had started cramping shortly after they'd gotten in the car and it was quickly getting worse. "It's just that my stomach _really hurts_."

The moment Peter explained that his stomach was upset, Tony felt a pang of guilt pass through him. The kid already felt bad and then he'd snapped at him. In all honesty, he probably should have assumed something was wrong. _Way to go Stark._ "I'm sorry, Buddy, I'll pull off up here.", he mumbled apologetically as he immediately headed towards the nearest gas station where he patiently waited for the boy to return. "Feeling any better?", he asked as Peter climbed back into the car several minutes later. When the only reply he got was a shrug of the shoulders, he reached over to feel the kid's clammy forehead. There was definitely no fever but the boy looked absolutely miserable. "Do we need to find a hotel for the night?"

"No.", Peter said pitifully before letting out a deep sigh. "I want to go home." He didn't even care _which_ home. He just wanted to be in his own bed with his own pillow. Whether that was the one in his apartment or the one in Tony's suite. It didn't matter. 

Tony nodded and pulled back out onto the road but he continued to periodically glance at the teenager beside him. He could see a glean of sweat forming across the boy's forehead and knew that he must be feeling awful. "Why don't you try to take a nap, kiddo? Maybe that will help.", Tony suggested hoping that would, at minimum, delay what was more than likely going to end up being another necessary stop.

Peter readily complied and folding up his hoodie to make it into a pillow but even with his eyes closed, he couldn't sleep. His insides were twisting and churning and he was starting to feel nauseous. He tried with all his might to swallow it back but after a while, he could no longer do so and was bolting upright in his seat. "I'm gonna throw up!", he frantically announced as he continued to try to delay the inevitable long enough for Tony to stop the car.

That proclamation had sent Tony's heart racing as he haphazardly swerved to the side of the highway just in time for Peter to throw his door open and vomit up everything he'd eaten that day all over the side of the road. "Geez, kid.", Tony said quietly as the kid continued to heave, gasping to air in between gags. He couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Expecially when the boy finally finished and slowly sat back up with tears in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry.", Peter breathlessly apologized as Tony dug through the glove box and pulled out some tissues. "I really don't feel good, Mr. Stark."

"I know you don't, Buddy and you have nothing to be sorry for, okay?", Tony replied softly as he used a few of the tissues to quickly wipe off the boy's chin before handing him the rest for his eyes. "...and I know you want to go home but I think maybe we should go find a hotel for the night. Don't you?" Peter let out a low groan but agreed and Tony set to work locating the closest hotel with decent reviews. He was extremely thankful when he was able to find one that wasn't terribly far away. "Twenty minutes tops. Alright, kid? Ready to go?", he asked, waiting for Peter's reply before merging back into traffic.

They had just exited the highway when Tony heard Peter take a few measured breaths. That was enough to have him go ahead and start searching for a place to stop. So, when the boy spoke up, a few moments later, he already had a plan. 

"I need to go to the bathroom. Can we stop or are we almost there?", Peter practically whimpered. He had no idea how much time had passed or how close they were to their destination. All he knew was that he needed to get out of the car as soon as possible.

"Both.", Tony replied with a small smile. He'd previously spotted a pharmacy and decided that he could kill two birds with one stone. Peter could run in and use their restroom while he grabbed some supplies to get them through the night. He really didn't need the boy to end up dehydrated on top of everything else. Taking an enhanced kid to the hospital would be complicated at best. Though he was prepared to do just that if it came down to it. "We're going to go in that pharmacy right up there and then the hotel is just a couple of minutes down the road.", he explained while internally begged the light that they were stopped at to hurry up and turn green. Once it had, he was quick to get them into the parking lot and Peter scurried out of the car ahead of him.

By the time, Tony had purchased several bottles of Pedialyte, some crackers, and a thermometer, he could see Peter returning from the back of the store still clutching his abdomen. "You doing okay, kid?", Tony asked as he wrapped a comforting arm around the boy's shoulders and led him back to the car.

"I threw up.", Peter replied as he leaned into his mentor, thankful when the man was willing to take on some of his weight. He was pretty sure he'd never felt so bad in his entire life. As such, the first thing he did when they reached the hotel room was flop down onto the bed closest to the bathroom and unabashedly kick off his jeans so that he was in nothing but boxers and a t-shirt.

"I'm sorry you're so sick, Buddy.", Tony murmured as he poured some of the rehydrating liquid into a small plastic cup before crossing the room with the intention of placing it at Peter's bedside. However, when the boy slowly sat up before he got there, he placed it in his hands instead. "Take it slow, alright.", he instructed as Peter took a few small sips then watched as the kid crawled back under the covers and curled up into a tense ball. Sighing at the sickly sight before him, Tony sat at the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through the mop of sweaty hair as Peter whined in misery. 

Peter tried to only focus on his mentor's comforting touch but the cramping in his abdomen made that nearly impossible and his eyes were starting to water. "I think I ate something.", he moaned when as he attempted to find a position that might ease the pain.

Laughing lightly at the observation, Tony looked down at Peter's scrunched up face. "I think you ate half of Vermont, kid.", he said with mirth but he knew what the boy meant and he agreed. It had all come on far to suddenly to be a virus. Food poisoning was the only real explanation. He just hoped it passed quickly.

"You know what I meant...", Peter whined before nearly knocking his mentor off of the bed as he jumped up and darted into the bathroom to bring up what little liquid he'd taken in. 

When Tony heard the boy gagging, he dampened a washcloth and waited just outside of the open bathroom door. He could see the kid hunched over the toilet and felt terrible for him. Then when Peter sat up and sagged against the wall holding his stomach while quietly sniffling, "_It hurts,_ Mr. Stark.", it absolutely broke his heart.

"I know, Buddy. I know.", Tony assured with sympathy. He really wished he could do something a little more substantial than wipe saliva off of his chin but they were going to have to ride this out. It was going to be a very long night. "You ready to get back in bed?"

"No. I'm gonna throw up again.", Peter weakly replied. His stomach refused to settle and he didn't think he had the energy to keep running back and forth across the room. He'd already resigned himself to spending the night on the cold bathroom floor but Tony seemed to have other plans. The man had walked away only to return moments later carrying the comforter from the bed he'd been laying in earlier and spread it across the bathroom floor.

"Come here, kid", Tony said softly as he lowered himself onto the floor beside Peter and beckoned for him to lay his head on his lap. "I've got you. We can stay right here until you're ready.", he added once, Peter had acquiesced and made himself more comfortable.

"You don't have to do all of this for me, Mr. Stark.", Peter eventually mumbled. Tony had been sitting on the floor with him, running his hand up and down his arm and encouraging him to take small sips of Pedialyte, for a while and even though he felt sweaty and gross he couldn't deny how nice it was to have someone take care of him. He just didn't want the man to feel obligated to do so. As much as he wished that he was, the man wasn't his father. 

Tony chuckled and looked down to meet eyes with the kid who was miserably looking up at him. "You're right, I don't have to do this for you.", he said honestly before giving the boy a reassuring smile. "...I _want_ to do all of this for you. If I didn't, then I can promise you that I wouldn't." After that, there didn't seem to be anything else to say and the room grew quiet for several minutes before Peter was back to hanging his head over the rim of the toilet.

"Maybe, maybe it was the taco. ... or the chicken. It could have been the chicken. Probably not the snow cone thing, right?", Peter tiredly rambled. After another round of dry heaves, he desperately wanted to find _something_ to blame for his suffering. The problem was it had all _tasted good_ at the time which made it pretty hard to narrow down the culprit. 

"Who knows, Bud.", Tony said a small smile, reaching out to guide the boy's head back onto his leg once he'd cleaned up and taken a few more sips of his drink. "Come here. Lay back down and try to close your eyes for a little while." 

"I can't sleep, Mr. Stark.", Peter whined as he curled back in on himself. He wanted to sleep. Sleep sounded amazing but he wasn't sure he could yet. Everything hurt. Then he felt a gentle hand start to run up and down his back and he couldn't help but relax.

"I know you still feel sick but at least close your eyes, yeah?", Tony suggested as he leaned his own head back against the wall. Despite the fact that it couldn't be much past ten, he was tired. Even so, he continued to rub the kids back and whisper reassurances until he was sure Peter's breaths had evened out with sleep. Only then did he allow his own eyes to close. However, he was woken sometime later by the sound of more vomit hitting the water. The poor kid was so out of it at this point, that he had his cheek resting on the toilet seat as spit and bile ran out of the corner of his mouth every time his stomach contracted. "Oh, kid...", Tony uttered with affinity as he got up as quickly as his stiff joints would allow, to dampen another washcloth.

When Peter was done he made no effort to sit up and Tony ended up having to physically pull him away from the toilet to wipe his face, encouraging him to lay back down after. "When's it gonna stop?", Peter whined because he was so tired and he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and stay that way. Yet, before he had to chance to even settle properly, he felt the now, all too familiar clawing in his abdomen and he had to sit back up. "I need to use the bathroom.", he whined, hoping that the man would get the message and give him some privacy.

Tony stepped out and closed the door behind him, taking the opportunity to stretch his legs and back while he waited for the boy to request his return. Then realizing he'd not eaten anything since lunch, he tore open the box of crackers he'd purchased earlier and started popping them in his mouth one after the other, washing them down with some Pedialyte. That lead to his next realization and he sighed. "Hey, kid?", he said quietly after lightly knocking on the door. "I'm going to run down the lobby real quick. I'm coming right back, yeah?" After the kid had acknowledged him he grabbed the key to the door and went in search of a restroom that didn't have a miserable teenager camping out in it. 

By the time Tony got back, Peter had the door open again and was laying on the comforter waiting for him. He knew he was waiting for him because the second the boy laid eyes on him he sat up so that he was no longer extended across where his mentor had been sitting. "Give me two minutes, kid.", Tony said with a smile as he held up the pair of sweat pants he'd retrieved from the car while he was out of the room.

Once Tony was changed, they returned to their previous positions. Tony with his legs stretched out across the floor while Peter's head lay on his thigh. "I'm really tired, Mr. Stark.", Peter said with a yawn as Tony resumed rubbing his back.

"Then you should go to sleep, Buddy.", Tony replied, smiling when Peter nodded his head and closed his eyes immediately. Just as before, he coaxed the kid to sleep before resting his head on the wall, dozing off himself. This time he stayed asleep for several hours. Waking only when his tailbone began to protest his stationary position on the tile floor. He tried to carefully readjust his posture to alleviate some of the pressure without disturbing the still sleeping teenager but that didn't seem to be working. 

Rationally he knew that he should wake the kid up and put him in bed. He hadn't vomited in three hours so it seemed like a safe bet. On the other hand, he was afraid that waking him up would set his stomach off all over again. He sat there debating it for several minutes before his aching body decided for him. He needed to get up. Hence he began to begrudgingly rouse the kid as gently as possible. "Hey, Kiddo. Can you wake up for just a minute?"

"Hmm?", Peter asked in sleepy confusion as he blinked back at his smiling mentor. It took several seconds for him to process why he was laying_ in Tony's lap_ on the bathroom floor. Then his stomach clenched and he was painfully reminded. While he didn't feel like he was in danger of vomiting again at the moment. He still didn't feel good.

"You've been asleep for a while. Let's get you back into a bed, yeah?", Tony whispered and Peter slowly started to sit up, allowing the man to rise to his feet with a groan. After he'd stretch out the majority of the kinks in his back, he helped the shaky teenager to his feet as well, then proceeded to guide him to towards his waiting bed. Once the kid was curled up under the sheet and a light blanket, he ran his hand through the boy's hair and smiled at him. "I'll be just over there.", he said pointing to the still made up bed just across the way. "If you need anything, wake me up." After Peter had nodded his head, Tony pulled back the comforter on his own bed and laid down with a contented sigh. While he knew for a fact that his own mattress was by far superior to the one he was currently laying on, at the moment he couldn't tell the difference. After being on the floor for hours, he was pretty sure that laying on _a yoga mat_ would feel just as amazing. 

Later that morning, Tony woke up to the bathroom door clicking shut and sighed. "How're you feeling, kid?", he sleepily inquired once the boy was back under the covers.

"Bad.", Peter readily replied. The nausea had let up some but his insides still felt like they were tired up in knots and now his head hurt too. He was pretty sure bad was an understatement but saying anything else felt like a lot of effort at the moment.

Tony frowned and crossed the room to place a thermometer under Peter's tongue. When it came back normal he sat on the edge of the bed and ran his thumb and forefinger under his tired eyes. "Define bad, kid. Do you not feel any better at all?"

Closing his eyes, Peter took a deep breath. "My head hurts.", was all he managed to get out before he felt like he couldn't possibly form any more words. Despite what had to have been at least four hours of solidly sleeping in a bed, it felt like it had been none. 

"Alright.", Tony sighed out feeling fairly helpless. Giving the kid an over the counter pain reducer would do nothing with his metabolism being what it was. Then again, the headache was probably more of a warning that dehydration was setting in than anything else. "Think you can keep some liquid down, Buddy?", Tony asked and when Peter shrugged his shoulders, he went to pour some more Pedialyte into a cup. "Really small sips, okay? I want you to finish the glass but let's not rush it."

Peter did as he was asked and ever so slowly made his way through half of the cup over the next half hour and just as he was starting to believe that the worst was over, his stomach started to do back-flips all over again. "I don't want anymore.", he said quietly as he began to repetitively swallow the saliva that was building in his mouth.

"You gonna puke?", Tony hesitantly asked as he watched the kid visibly pale before him. When Peter didn't answer he took that as a probably and started to pull the blankets back while encouraging the boy to get up and make his way into the bathroom just in case. However, they only got about three steps in before Peter let out a wet burp that resulted in a small amount of vomit running down his chin and onto his shirt. After that, Tony hurried their pace and managed to get the kid all the way to the bathroom before his stomach lurched again and he was spilling everything he'd just drank into the toilet. 

"My shirt.", Peter pathetically uttered once he was done and Tony was handing him a cup of water to rinse his mouth with. 

"I'll go get you a clean one out of the car.", Tony assured while helping the kid get the offending piece of clothing over his head without spreading vomit into his hair. However, his words didn't seem to help because Peter looked like he was on the verge of tears. 

"I don't have another one.", Peter emotionally replied, wrapping his arms around his bare torso in an attempt to stop shivering. He'd packed exactly what he needed to get them through the trip. He'd not planned on any extra days and now he wished he had. While he trusted Tony and wasn't the least bit shy around him anymore, he still didn't love the idea of laying around the hotel in just his underwear but thankfully Tony had a solution and he was grateful. 

"Then I'll get you one of mine. I need to go down and let them know we're staying another night anyway.", he said once, he had the kid back under the covers. That would also give him a chance to update May and grab a bagel or something from the breakfast bar. The five or so crackers he'd eaten around midnight hadn't exactly been filling. 

Tony suggesting that they were going to be staying another night was definitely not what Peter wanted to hear. Not that he was eager to ride int he car for several hours either but he'd been in a hotel for five nights already. He missed his own room. "I want to go home."

"I know you do, kiddo and if by some chance you're feeling good enough to travel later, we'll go, alright?", Tony promised, smiling slightly when Peter nodded his head. After a quick confirmation that he would be okay by himself for a little while, Tony walked out the door already dialing May. That conversation was quick and buy the time he was hanging up, the was already downstairs grabbing a muffin and a cup of coffee from the breakfast line. Then he was out to the car to grab the promised clean shirt, speak briefly with the man at the desk and hurry back to the room. 

Upon his return to the room he was unsurprised to find Peter lightly sleeping, still curled up in a ball. Looking at his watch, he opted to let him stay that way for another twenty minutes before he leaned and started to gently shake him awake. "Pete, come on, Buddy, I have a shirt for you.", he said, smiling softly when Peter's fluttered open. As soon as he was sure the boy was coherent he helped him sit up and watched as he lethargically pulled the slightly too large shirt over his head before attempting to hand him a cup with a few small cubes of ice in it.

Peter looked at the cup being held out to him and groaned. He knew that in reality, he needed to drink whatever the man was trying to hand him but at the same time, he really didn't want to throw up anymore. His muscles had grown sore from the effort and it hurt. 

When it looked like Peter was trying to come up with the best way to decline what was being offered to him, Tony gave a sympathetic half-smile. "I know what you're thinking, kiddo but you need something. It's not the juice stuff this time. It's just ice. Might be easier to keep that down.", he said expecting the kid to protest that too but he didn't. "Now what do you say we watch some TV?", he suggested after Peter had taken the cup from him and placed a small piece of ice in his mouth.

As it turned out, ice had been exactly what Peter needed and had managed to finish the small amount he'd been given without incident. "Can I have some more of that?", he asked after the last cube had melted away in his mouth.

"Let's give it a few minutes.", Tony suggested after looking down at his watch. While he certainly wanted the kid to rehydrate, he didn't want to push their luck and Peter seemed to be okay with the delay. "How do you feel?"

"I don't know.", Peter admitted. He wanted to say that he felt better but he wasn't sure that 'better' was the right word to use_._ He no longer felt _completely_ nauseous and the cramping had calmed down but his head and muscles ached relentlessly. He really wanted to go back to sleep but he was also_ thirsty_ so he opted to stay sitting until his mentor saw fit to allow him to have more ice. "My stomach's a little better but my head still hurts."

"We're working on that, Buddy. I think once we get a decent about of fluid back into you that will ease up some."

Peter nodded in understanding and leaned heavily against the headboard. As much as he wanted to stay awake his eyes kept trying to drift closed and the harder he fought it the worse he felt in general. "Can I please have some more, Mr. Stark? I want to go back to sleep.", Peter eventually whined and Tony sighed but acquiesced. Handing over a few more cubes of ice that Peter immediately began to suck on. Though the second he'd crunched through the last piece he was laying back down.

"I'm going to wake you up in half an hour for some more ice, alright?", Tony said as he crossed the room and ran his fingers through the boy's hair. Though he didn't get an answer, as Peter was already asleep. From there he wasn't sure what to do with himself. He tried to become engrossed in whatever was on the television but he couldn't, his attention was constantly being drawn to the bed beside his. Even asleep the kid looked uncomfortable and he couldn't stop watching him. 

When he finally gave up on the television, he turned to his phone and attempted to go through his email. Most of it was junk and what wasn't he didn't feel like dealing with at the moment. All of the different contracts and proposals that Pepper sent to him on a regular basis couldn't hold his attention on a good day. He wasn't sure why he thought they would at a time like this. Nothing was helping to pass the time and he finally had to admit that he wasn't just concerned. He was worried. Since getting into the car the day before the kid had only managed to keep down a few sips of Pedialyte and what amounted to maybe a couple of tablespoons of water. No matter how he spun it, that didn't sound like enough so he started doing some research. 

After avoiding all of the worst-case scenario articles he finally found several that agreed that he didn't need to worry yet. That seemed easier said than done and he wondered if this was what first-time parents felt like before he laughed that notion right out of his own head. He wasn't Peter's parent, he was his mentor and for some reason, that self-observation stung a little. Then as the last few days started to playback in his memory he realized that maybe Peter was at least a little bit more than a mentee because he was pretty sure that everything they had done that week, from taking the kid on a road trip at all to holding him all night while periodically washing his face was well outside of the internship paperwork they both signed. Of course, he didn't regret any of it and maybe that meant they were something else now. Something more... familiar. 

He thought about all of that for quite a while before realizing that enough time had passed that he should wake Peter up again and quietly rose to do so. "Hey, Buddy. Ready for some more ice?", he asked quietly when Peter eventually opened his eyes and shifted in the sheets to look at him. Once the boy had sat up some he handed the cup over, this time with slightly more ice in it. 

That's how they spent the next several hours. Tony waking Peter up regular intervals to feed him ice. At one point he snuck downstairs to collect and eat the sandwich he'd ordered himself but other than that he stayed close by. Sitting in the bed opposite Peter, thinking about everything there was to think about. His mind wandered from one subject to the next in a continuous stream of thoughts and by evening he'd come to the conclusion that in a way, the kid _was his kid_. He'd also come up with his next big breakthrough idea for the Iron Man suit and at least sixteen new protocols for the Spider suit. All in all, it had been a productive day, despite the fact that he'd gotten nothing done. It was fine, though. He was exactly where he needed to be.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that evening as Tony was just about to check the time again, heard Peter stir beside him. "Hey, kid. How're you feeling now?", he asked, hoping that the answer was going to be positive because it had to have been twenty-four hours at this point. When Peter shrugged his shoulders he sighed. "Does your head still hurt?"

"A little. ...and I'm just _really_ tired and... I don't know.", Peter replied as he slowly began to kick back the blankets and lower his feet to the floor. He'd had multiple cups of ice throughout the day and he'd needed to pee for the last couple of hours. He'd just lacked the motivation to actually get out of bed and take care of it but being as the pressure had increased to the point that he no longer sleep through it, he decided it was time to make the effort. Though the moment he got all the way up onto his shaky legs he could see Tony crossing the room towards him.

"You alright?", Tony asked with trepidation. The kid was swaying on his feet and he was convinced he couldn't cross the room on his own even if he needed too. "You gonna be sick?"

When Tony grabbed ahold of his forearm, Peter attempted to pull away, saying that he was fine and that he had it but he didn't. The mild jerking motion was enough to throw him off balance and he stumbled backward as a result. Luckily Tony was quick to catch him and this time Peter didn't complain when the man kept a hold on his arms in order to steady him. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to be sick or anything. I'm fine.", he said when the man started to once again ask him if he was okay.

"If you're fine then what's the hurry? Just tell me what you need and I'll go get it for you.", Tony said while continuing to steady the kid as they stood by the bedside.

_"I need to go to the bathroom_.", Peter strained before trying to take a few wobbly steps, Tony supporting him as he did so and as much as he didn't _want_ to need the help, he was glad he had it. It suddenly felt as though his feet were growing heavier with each stride. Worse was the movement seemed to be making his stomach start to turn and while he didn't feel like he was imminent danger of vomiting, he did need to stop. "W-wait.", he said when he didn't think he could go any further. "I need a minute.", he causally elaborated and Tony paused, allowing Peter to lean up against him. However not even a full minute later he was trying to move forward again.

As Peter started walking again, Tony kept in step ready to take on as much of the kid's weight as he needed to in order to get him where he needed to go. Though when the boy's second step turned into a mild stumble he forced them to come to a halt. "You sure you're ready to keep going?", Tony asked with concern etched across his features. 

"Mm-hmm. Gotta pee.", Peter said with a grimace crossing his face. When he'd opted to put this off, it hadn't crossed his mind that he would lack the balance and stamina to actually get to across the room. He was thankful he didn't need to do _anything else_. He was even more thankful when Tony went from holding onto his bicep to wrapping an arm around back, just below his shoulders, to help them move that much more quickly. Once they had made it to the bathroom door, Peter took over with the support of the wall and Tony shut the door behind him.

As Tony waited to help Peter back to bed he leaned up against the counter and sighed. He was almost sure that the kid's instability was based more on the fact that he's not eaten anything in over a day than anything else. With his enhanced metabolism, one day was probably more like two or three. He was suddenly remarkably glad that the boy had been able to eat the ice without a problem. Lack of water for this long would have been a completely different level of disaster. 

On the way back to bed Tony suggested that Peter attempt to drink some of the Pedialyte rather than eating more ice cubes. The sugar and potassium the beverage would provide, would more than likely assist in making him feel less sluggish but Peter seemed wary.

"That stuff tastes gross.", he complained but really that was only half of it. While it didn't really taste great going down, he was extremely tired of bringing it back up. The trip to the bathroom had left him feeling somewhat queasy and he wasn't sure he wanted to risk it. It didn't seem that his opinion mattered much at the moment because the second he was back in the bed, Tony was thrusting a cup into his hands. "Can't I just have the ice?", he pleaded but the man remained firm that he needed the calories and vitamin replacements. 

Feeling like he had no other options Peter swallowed down a quarter of the portion before being handed two crackers. He attempted to adamantly decline but again Tony was persistent. As such he slowly nibbled his way through the crackers, washing them down with small sips from the cup. After that, there were several minutes where he thought that the food was going to settle his stomach. Then, with no warning at all, he was vomiting over the side of the bed. It wasn't much but his body was instant that none of it stay in place.

"Alright.", Tony said once he had the floor mostly cleaned up. There wasn't much he could do. He wiped up what he could with a damp towel and then tossed a second one over the soiled area. "New plan. I'm going to run to the store and get some juice pops. Maybe your stomach will compromise with me and keep that down.", he announced, feeling slightly guilty about bullying the kid into eating. "What do you think? Willing to give it a try?"

Knowing that the only acceptable answer was, yes, Peter nodded his head and turned over onto his side. At least he had several minutes of reprieve before the man was forcing him to eat that too. With that in mind, he closed his eyes with every intention of sleeping until Tony returned. 

Twenty minutes later Tony was back in the room with a grocery bag in hand. "Alright, Kiddo. I've got some Strawberry All-Fruit Bars, some ginger ale and some Reeses Cups... _but those are for me_.", he said with a smile as he started to tear open the box and pull out a frozen treat. "You do okay while I was gone? No more puking or anything?"

"I was fine. Sleeping.", Peter replied with a yawn. He was pretty sure he'd still be asleep of the man hadn't burst into the room already talking. Then before he could even sit all the way up he had a frozen fruit bar being shoved into his hand. He didn't want it but again, he knew better than to argue. He wouldn't win and he didn't feel up to trying. 

When Peter brought the pink popsicle up to his mouth, Tony smiled. "You don't have to finish it or anything. We have five more."

While grateful to hear that he wasn't expected to eat the whole thing, Peter couldn't stop himself from smiling slightly at the flavor. It was a welcome change of pace from the beverage he'd been trying to drink since they'd arrived and he quickly went from licking it to nibbling at it. "This is really good.", he conceded, once he'd eaten an entire corner of the bar.

"Yeah? Well, I'm glad you like it.", Tony said with a small laugh. He just hoped that it stayed down. The fact that it was cold and apparently far more palatable made it more likely. "You still feeling good?"

"Mm-hmm.", Peter hummed around the popsicle in his mouth. "I mean, not worse anyway."

After setting the plastic bag he'd been holding, just in case, on the bed beside Peter, Tony went to sit on his own bed. Peeling open the peanut butter cup's he'd bought himself and popping one into his mouth whole. Between that and the glass of ginger ale, he'd poured himself he was pretty sure he'd just eaten the dinner of champions. Once he'd finished off the last candy, he looked over at Peter who seemed to have slowed down on the fruit bar. After watching him just sit there and hold it for a few seconds, only licking what dripped onto his hand, he started to worry the kid was about puke again. "You alright?"

"Yeah.", Peter said with a sigh. "I think I'm just done. It's really really good but I can't eat any more right now."

Tony got up to take the remaining portion of the popsicle from the boy's hand. "Still not feeling sick?"

"Nope. I'm good.", Peter replied. Same as Tony, he really hoped the worst of it was over. He was pretty sure that if he threw up again it was going to rip his abdomen in two. It had been a very long time since he'd felt so sore. So, he lay back down and closed his eyes yet again but this time Tony let him sleep for quite a while. It was already dark out when he felt a hand brush across his forehead and come to a pause on the top of his head.

"Hey, Buddy. You've been asleep for a while. Do you want anything?", Tony asked and Peter sat up and tried to decide if he did or not. Then, his stomach growled ever so slightly, surprising even himself. 

"Can I have another popsicle?", he asked, still feeling the need to be cautious. Just because he felt ever so slightly hungry didn't mean he was ready to chance much else. At least he knew he could keep that down. 

Watching Peter eat through the entire popsicle this time, Tony sighed. All there was to do now, was to wait. "You feel like watching something or are you going back to sleep?", he asked, in part to try to gauge how the kid was feeling. 

"Watching something sounds good.", Peter said as he propped himself up on the headboard. "Can I have some ice?"

"You can. ...or you could try some ginger ale if you'd like.", Tony suggested, perfectly content to allow the kid to decline. He was more than happy to have seen an entire fruit pop being consumed without a reappearance. He wasn't planning on pushing for much more. So, when Peter looked unsure, he got up and made him a cup of each. 

Thankful to have not been pushed into something he wasn't sure he wanted, Peter started sucking on the ice cubes and before too long found himself casually sipping at the soda as well. More so, he found himself not feeling utterly miserable anymore. Not that he felt great but he no longer felt so horrible that he could barely move. Then somewhere around ten, his stomach started to growl again. This time with persistence. "Um... Mr. Stark?"

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"Can I have something to eat? Like really eat?", Peter asked hesitantly. He didn't even know what he wanted but he was pretty sure a popsicle and crackers weren't going to cut it. 

"You want the crackers?", Tony asked, already getting up from his bed to grab the package but when Peter pulled a face at him he paused. "What do you want, Bud? Popsicle?"

Peter sighed and considered giving in and taking the crackers and a popsicle but he really wanted something a little more substantial. Or at least he thought he did. He was _almost_ sure he could handle it. His stomach was certainly insisting that it could. "I kind of wanted real food but... I guess we don't have any. I can wait. A popsicle's fine."

Looking at his watch, Tony frowned a little. It was a little after ten and he was pretty sure that everything outside of a handful of fast food joints was closed and he didn't really fancy giving he kid a greasy hamburger. Soup would be nice but he could hardly expect to pick any of that up at McDonald's. There was a small fridge in the room with an even smaller freezer but no microwave so canned soup didn't seem like much help either. Then it crossed his mind that some fruit might be an okay choice and he could get that at the corner store. "How about some fruit?", he asked with a sigh. "I don't know if it'll stay down but it's probably better than some greasy fries."

Despite the fact that greasy fries sounded delicious, Peter agreed and Tony was soon heading back out the door, returning a short time later with three bananas in a bag. "I got a few but let's start with one, yeah?", Tony said with a cautious smile as he handed Peter the smallest and took another out for himself. He'd considered getting himself a cheap burger on the way back but ended up deciding against it. He'd already had candy for dinner. He didn't need to push his own luck as well. 

By the time Peter was placing the second peel onto the bedside table he wasn't sure how much better he was really feeling but he was decidedly tired. None of the copious amounts of sleep he'd gotten during the day seemed to have accumulated into anything substantial. He was ready for bed. "Is it okay if I go to sleep?", Peter asked out of courtesy. Tony was still watching the television and he didn't want to force the man to sit in the dark while he slept. 

"Of course it is.", Tony said with a laugh. 

"Well, um, I'm gonna go get ready for bed then", Peter said as he quietly pulled back the covers and carefully stepped around the towel that was covering up all evidence of the mess he'd made previously. This time he was able to walk to and from the bathroom with no problem. His legs still felt a little like jelly and his stomach felt heavier than it should but he didn't feel like his knees were going to give out. 

Climbing back into bed, he was surprised when Tony approached his side. "You look like you're feeling a little better, Kiddo.", the man said as he brushed some of his overgrown hair off of his forehead and tucked a stray curl behind his ear. 

"I think I do.", Peter replied simply. He was going to explain further but his thoughts were interrupted by a yawn he couldn't quite hold back.

"Well, we'll see how you look in the morning and maybe we can head home, yeah?", Tony said knowing that would get a warm reception. The kid had been ready to go home since they left Vermont. Not that he blamed him. Who wants to be sick in a hotel room? Goodness knows he would have wanted his own bed too.

"Mm-hmm. I'm ready to go home.", Peter agreed with a deep sigh. "Good-night, Mr. Stark."

"'Night, Buddy.", Tony replied before turning off the television and the bedside lamps. He wasn't ready to go to sleep but he could just as easily entertain himself on his phone and he didn't need light to do that. So he sat up for a while, texting May and Pepper and playing a few random games on his phone. Eventually deciding that he should at least attempt to sleep because, in theory, they would be driving home in the morning. At least that's what he thought. All the way up until he was being shaken awake by a whimpering teenager. "What is it?", Tony gasped as he was abruptly pulled from a surprisingly sound sleep.

"I need your help.", Peter said quietly while simultaneously sounding on the verge of tears. "I'm _so_ sorry."

Unsure of what on Earth the kid could have done to cause such a reaction, Tony sat up and twisted the heals of his hands into his eye sockets. "Sorry for what?"

"I threw up.", Peter shakily admitted leaving out the more embarrassing details for the moment. What he didn't want to tell the man was that he'd done so all over the bed. He'd woken up mid-gag and before he could even get all the way upright, vomit was forcefully making its way out of his mouth. By some miracle, he'd managed to not get any on his shirt but the bed was ruined and his boxers were damp from where everything had puddled in his lap and seeped through the light blankets.

"You puked again?", Tony asked with something between disappointment and pity. The kid had been doing so well but then again, maybe the 'real food' had pushed him back over the edge. He didn't think it was the choice, per se. When he'd looked it up, bananas were actually recommended as a recovery food but maybe they just weren't there yet or maybe allowing the boy to eat both pieces in such quick succession had been too much. Then, suddenly remembering that he had a crying teenager who was clearly waiting for some sort of assistance from him, he made a move to sit up further. "What do you need, Buddy?"

"I messed up the bed. ...and my shorts.", he admitted quietly, relaxing instantly when it looked like his mentor wasn't upset with him. He'd been mortified by his mishap and worried that the man was going to be upset about being woken up so abruptly but he did need help. He couldn't just sleep on the floor with vomit on his clothes. 

'Oh', Tony thought as he glanced at the bed beside him and realized that there was indeed a sizable stain spread across the blankets. Sighing, Tony again brought his hands up to his tired, eyes as he tried to decide the best way to handle this. He figured first thing, first, he should get the kid taken care of. "Alright, why don't you go take a quick shower. I'll run down to the car and get you some clean clothes." When it looked like Peter was going to interrupt, he raised his hand to quieten him. "I know you don't have any. I do. I always pack twice what I need. I never really knew why until this week.", he added in an attempt to make light of the situation but Peter didn't seem to be in the mood.

Unable to protest, Peter nodded his head and bit his lip in an attempt to stop his bottom lip from quivering. It had just occurred to him that he'd now ruined both the carpet and the bed linens and now he was having to borrow more of his mentor's clothes. It didn't take long for biting his lip to no longer be enough to keep his emotions at bay.

"Hey, you're alright, kid.", Tony said softly. "I know you feel rotten but a shower will do you some good and I'll have some clothes waiting for you when you get out. Then we can talk about what's got you so worked up."

As promised, Tony was slipping in and out of the bathroom a few short minutes later, leaving a stack of clean clothes by the door. After that, he made his way over to the bed and brought his hands up into his hair. It was a complete loss. He'd sort of thought that he could get away with pulling the blankets off of the top and allowing Peter to use the comforter from his own bed but the mess had absorbed all the way down to the bottom sheet. This wasn't exactly a five-star hotel so he wasn't sure about getting a linen change at midnight but he was going to have to do something. 

When Peter exited the bathroom tugging at the band of the slightly too large sweat pants, Tony guided him over to the clean bed and handed him a plastic grocery bag. "I'm going to go downstairs and see if I can get some clean sheets or something, alright? If you need to puke again, do it in the bag, yeah?", Tony said but before he could turn to head out the door he could see that Peter was right on the verge of tears again. "What is it, Buddy?"

"Are they going to be mad?", Peter hesitantly asked. He didn't know why but he was extremely concerned that the hotel staff was going to be upset about the mess and that Tony was going to have to pay for the damage. Knowing that the man had more than enough money to purchase the entire hotel if he wanted to, didn't seem to be enough to ease the guilt. 

"Oh, Kid. They won't be mad.", Tony replied gently. "These kinds of things happen and they have the equipment they need to take care of it. You don't have to worry about it. I promise."

Knowing that he could trust Tony emphatically, Peter nodded his head and allowed himself to relax into the pillows, cognizant that they smelled like Tony. It was oddly comforting but he didn't have time to analyze that at the moment. He was weary and emotional and just wanted to rest.

Once he was sure that Peter was going to be okay, Tony headed downstairs. He didn't really expect there to be housekeeping available at that hour but he hoped that if nothing else they could offer him some sort of solution. Maybe a second room or at minimum one that they could use until theirs _could_ be cleaned. All of that was going through his head as he approached the young man, charged with watching the front desk at night. Flashing his media-ready smile, Tony waited until the man looked sufficiently star-struck before going into an explanation of what he needed.

While there was, predictably, no cleaning staff on-site the young man was quick to find him another room. Tony found it oddly amusing that said room had been offered to him '_at no charge, Mr. Stark, sir_' because he could easily afford as many hotel rooms as they needed to get them through this but it was the thought that counts and he decided that once the crisis was over he'd make a point of putting a good word in for the establishment. 

Back up in the room, Tony was happy to see that Peter had been able to go back to sleep. He was also suddenly _very happy_ that he'd been able to secure a completely new room because he'd not realized how much the one they were in smelled until he'd left for a while and come back. He decided that he defiantly needed to leave a very large cash tip on the bedside table once he had all of their things moved to the new accommodations.

"Pete?", Tony whispered as he began to gently pull the boy back to consciousness. "Come on, Buddy. We're going to blow this popsicle stand and move to a new room. It's only a few doors down. You ready?"

Peter was not ready but he nodded his head and stood up, all the same, grabbing the plastic bag for the walk. Once they had arrived Peter happily lay back down under the covers and went back to sleep, not waking even once as Tony moved back and forth a few times to gather their possessions. 

The next morning, Tony woke up first. He was reluctant to wake Peter right away even though he really wanted to know how the kid was feeling. He still held the tiniest bit of hope that they could head back home that day. He knew that's what the kid wanted and honestly, that's what he wanted too. Mostly because that would mean that Peter was feeling better.

"Hey, Buddy...", Tony said quietly, once he'd readied himself for the day with a quick shower and a change of clothes. "Can you wake up for me?"

"Hmm?", Peter sleepily replied as he began to stretch his arms over his head, making a small noise of contentment as he did so. 

"How do you feel, kid?", Tony asked with a smile as Peter blinked back at him looking more comfortable than he had in days. It was refreshing and a welcome shift from the misery the kid had been experiencing not even six hours prior.

Taking a moment to take inventory of his body, Peter shifted in the bed and made and attempt to sit up. When he was able to do that with no discomfort, he smiled lightly. "I feel pretty good actually." His head didn't hurt, he didn't feel nauseous and there as no cramping or heaviness in his stomach. In general, his only complaint was a few sore muscles and some general sleepiness but seeing as he'd just been woken up from a perfectly peaceful slumber he didn' think too much on that. 

"Yeah?", Tony asked, allowing his smile to spread a little wider. "Why don't you hop up and wash your face or something. See how you feel after walking around for a bit then we can decide what we want to do from there."

Peter agreed and got up out of bed. After using the bathroom and washing his hands, he wandered over towards the window where he pulled the curtain back and looked over the parking lot towards the busy road, squinting slightly as the early morning light poured into the room. He stood there for a couple of minutes watching the people and cars come and go before he needed to sit down in the armchair that was beside him. Not because he felt sick but because his body seemed to only be able to handle being upright for so long. He wasn't quite back to himself yet despite the fact that he felt, what had to be, a million times better. "Can we go home today?", he asked with a sigh.

"Do you feel up to riding in the car?", Tony asked dubiously. Even though it had been over thirty-six hours since the initial symptoms set in, it seemed a little hard to believe that the kid who'd throw up everywhere during the night was well enough to get in the car. "You were pretty sick last, night, kiddo."

"I know.", Peter said quietly. He didn't really want to think about that, especially when he felt so much better at the moment. "...but I feel good enough to go. I won't throw up again, I promise." 

Tony sighed and made his way towards the chair where the boy was sitting, still looking exhausted. Then, placing a hand on his shoulder, he urged the boy to look up at him. He did look better. There were still bags under his eyes but he no longer looked a white a sheet and the glisten of sweat was no longer present across his nose and forehead. "You feel like eating?", he asked carefully. 

"Mm-hmm.", Peter hummed as he rested his head against the winged side of the chair. "Maybe, maybe only a little bit though.", he decided. He was almost sure that it was the second banana that had caused him issues before. He'd eaten through them so quickly that he didn't realize until he was finished that it had been too much. He'd hoped to sleep away the heavy, ache that had followed but that had clearly not worked out.

"We could go downstairs to the breakfast buffet.", Tony suggested. "Yesterday they had muffins and fruit and whatnot set out. Maybe a little bit of cereal would be a good idea."

At first, Peter wanted to decline. He was slightly concerned that he was going to eat downstairs and then throw up in front of everyone. Then upon further self-scrutiny, he decided that scenario, in particular, was unlikely. His stomach felt nothing but empty. "Okay.", he nearly whispered before allowing Tony to take his hand and pull him up. 

As soon as Peter had his shoes on, the two of them walked together down the hall towards the elevator. When the carriage arrived Peter hesitantly stepped in and was relieved to find that the movement didn't cause his stomach to flip. The room the breakfast was being served in was relatively empty considering it was just after eight and Peter was thankful. He didn't really feel like eating with a huge audience at the moment. So, he took a plate and carefully selected a few grapes and a small box of cheerios before taking a seat at a table tucked all the way in the corner. 

Tony joined him a short while later with a large bowl of oatmeal, topped with dried fruit and nuts and a cup of coffee. There was silence between them for a while as Peter slowly started picking at the fruit and dry cereal he'd selected. He made a point of going extremely slowly this time and practically over-analyzing every single bubble, gurgle or twinge that he felt as he ate, no matter how minuscule it was. As such, Tony was long done with his bowl and on his second cup of coffee when he finally deemed himself done.

Nodding in approval, Tony grabbed the paper plate that was still dotted with a few pieces of fruit and cereal to deposit it into the trash. "Still feel alright?"

"Yeah.", Peter replied as they rode the elevator back up to the room. "Just tired."

"Good deal.", Tony said quietly. "Checkout is at eleven, so if you're still feeling up to it in an hour, we'll pack it up."

Feeling fairly confident that he would be fine, Peter agreed. He considered not taking his shoes off but the bed looked entirely too inviting so he did and flopped back across it. "Do you promise to wake me up in time to leave?", he asked. There was a small part of him that was nervous, Tony would see him sleeping and just decide to stay another night and that was the last thing he wanted. 

Laughing lightly that the uncertainly in the boy's tone, Tony strode over to the bed and rested his hand atop of Peter's head. "I promise, Buddy. I won't make us stay another night if you really think you're good to go.", he replied softly though he had every intention of taking _at least one of those grocery bags_ they had laying around with them. The kid had been really good about not puking in his car on the way there but he didn't want to risk it. That would be a mess. "Just keep in mind that it's a good four hours... and that's if we don't stop for anything."

"I know.", Peter returned despite the fact that he didn't actually know. In reality, he had no idea where they were or how far they had gotten before Tony had insisted that they prolong their trip. He didn't give it a-terrible-lot of thought before drifting back off to sleep. 

As promised Tony woke Peter up in an hour's time and it was decided that they would go ahead and leave. Tony checked them out and loaded the car, while Peter settled in the front seat, using his hoodie as a pillow. "You know you can ride in the back if want. You might be more comfortable...", Tony said right before he started the engine but Peter declined.

"I want to be with you.", he replied in earnest, not really think about any implications those words might hold. Though he did notice the way Tony looked at him after. The way he smiled towards him filled his chest with warmth and he suddenly realized what he'd implied. While that hadn't been his intention. He didn't take it back because he _did want to be with him._ Other than his Aunt May, Tony was probably his favorite person in all the world.

"I'm glad you want to be up here with me.", Tony finally replied as he pulled out onto the road. "You're pretty good company."

Without missing a beat, Peter turned his head to face his mentor and smiled. "Even when I'm sick and gross?"

"Well, I did say '_pretty good_'.", Tony smirked back in return. "I could have done without the whole food poisoning fiasco." 

"Me too", Peter sighed out seriously. While he typically enjoyed absolutely any additional time he could squeeze in with the man, this was not how he would have chosen to do it. "That sucked."

Tony laughed and hummed in mild agreement. "You going to sleep? I know you're still not one-hundred-percent. I wouldn't be able to get a word in right now if you were."

As much as he wanted to put up a fight and say that he didn't talk _that much._.. he knew that he kind of did so he just smiled. "Yeah. I'm still tired. Which seems insane considering how much I've slept the last two days."

"Yeah, well, you're still recovering. It's to be expected.", Tony replied while reaching over to give the boy's knee a reassuring squeeze. "When you wake up we'll stop for a bit. We're not in any hurry."

Having already pressed his cheek into the folded-up hoodie, Peter gave a mild acknowledgment and sighed deeply. "G'night, Mr. Stark."

At those word's Tony took a second to look fondly beside him before bringing his eyes back to the road. Though he couldn't stop himself from stealing another glance every so often and when the boy's breaths evened out into soft snores he smiled. Peter was definitely his kid and there was no denying it. Still smiling to himself, Tony casually reached over to lower the music just a touch, so as not to disturb his kid and sighed. "Good-night, Buddy. I love you."


End file.
